Revision as of 17:35, 7 October 2012

Columbus is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — have a look at each of them.

A view of downtown Columbus' skyline from street level

Columbus[1] is the capital of the American state of Ohio and is located centrally within the state in the Mid-Ohio region. Sited in an area where the Rust Belt, Bible Belt, Appalachia, and the Plains meet, Columbus is a fusion of many different parts of America. It is the home of Ohio State University. The combination of Ohio Government and Ohio State University has fueled amazing growth both financially and physically in Columbus. It has created a business and research enviroment that has provided substantial employment opportunities to the diverse ethnic and local graduates of Ohio State University, and other academic institutions in Columbus. The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), is projected to be one of the top 50 supercomputers in the world and among the top 10 supercomputing academic centers. It also ranked number 1 on About.com's list of the United States' Most Underrated Gay Cities.

Named after the Italian explorer who sailed under the Spanish flag (In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue), this city is the largest in Ohio in terms of population with 787,033, and the 15th largest city in the United States—though with only 1.7 million people, the metropolitan statistical area is relatively small (the 31st largest in the nation and the 3rd of 4th largest in Ohio). Major area employers are state government (as the state capital), Ohio State University (the largest student population in the nation) and numerous Fortune 500 companies headquartered here (Cardinal Health, Nationwide Insurance, Limited Brands, etc.). It is a day's drive from one half of the U.S. population and is located at the intersection of I-70 and I-71.

Generally arranged in a really big wheel, Columbus is the central hub to many nearby cities including (clockwise from the north):

Get in

By plane

Port Columbus International Airport, 4600 International Gateway, ☎+1 614 239-4083, [4]. Port Columbus (IATA: CMH) is served by all the major airlines, with direct flights to most major American cities. Aside from rental cars, the airport can also be reached by the #92 bus, or by taxi. A taxi ride to downtown is only 10 minutes and will cost approximately $25. Depending on your schedule and where you are connecting to, it may be worthwhile to check flights to Dayton as well, as they are often cheaper.

By bus

Megabus, +1 877 462-6342, [7]. Service to Columbus from Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Chicago. Fares start at $1. Buses arrive and depart downtown Columbus near the northwest corner of Nationwide Boulevard and High Street. Buses also serve Ohio State University from a stop at the Ohio Union building on the west side of the intersection of High Street and 12th Avenue.

Get around

By bus

The COTA bus service [8] can take you to most important places in the city, which should be about 5 blocks away from any conceivable location you need to go to. This service costs $2.75 for an Express bus and $2.00 for a Local/Crosstown bus. Transfers for a Local/Crosstown bus are free, but transfers between bus types, such as from a Local to an Express route, are subject to an upcharge. Ask for one from the bus driver when you pay your fare.

By foot

The entire corridor of High St (US Route 23) from Clintonville in the North to Merion Village in the South is extremely pedestrian-friendly, though it does pass through some less-than-scenic areas, particularly the few blocks between campus and the short north.
Downtown Columbus is a walkable city with most attractions located within a 20 minute walk of each other. The Columbus Landmarks Foundation conducts walking tours, too. [9]

By car

Columbus is a car-centric city, with usage of a car required outside of the areas directly surrounding downtown. Parking is extensive (and reasonably priced) at almost all major destinations. There are many surface lots and garages around the city. There are only a few areas of the city, like the Short North, where parking can be hard to come by; those locations all feature abundant valet parking at an affordable $5 per vehicle. Keep in mind that U-turns are illegal citywide in Columbus.
Downtown is a short ten minute drive ($20 taxi fare) from Port Columbus (the airport) via I-670W.

See

Columbus is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

Columbus Crew Stadium, Adjacent to Ohio Historical Society of of I-71. Home ot Columbus Crew Soccer and as of 2008 a $2 million dollar new stage has been installed to host big-name concerts. Great location.

Do

Columbus is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

Festivals/Events

The Arnold Fitness Classic Held once a year in early March at the Columbus Convention Center. Tons of competitions ranging from martial arts to cheerleading to bench press, plenty of "fitness babes" and free supplement samples, and speeches from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. [12]

Columbus Jazz and Rib Fest, River Front downtown, July. Expect 500-700,000 people at this fun food and music event held each year. [15]

ComFest, the Columbus Community Festival, at Goodale Park in June. Music, arts, culture, shopping, fair food, beer & bare feet. Who's who of Columbus musicians and those from elsewhere! [16]

Festival Latino, is held on the downtown River Front in the middle of June each year. Billed as "The largest Hispanic/Latino event in Ohio". Lot's of food, fun, entertainment and feista. Free admission. [17]

German Village Oktoberfest, South Grant & East Livingston Ave September.

Ohio Expo Center. 717 E. 17th Ave. [19] Home to The Ohio State Fair. Each month, a variety of shows, expositions and competitions are held at the Ohio Expo Center, over 175 events per year. These range from shopping for antiques to boxing, there is something for everyone at the Ohio Expo Center.

Origins International Game Expo Origins is run by The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) as one of their two shows for the adventure gaming industry. (The second show, the GAMA Trade Show, is for game manufacturers and retailers only.) Origins is specifically chartered to serve adventure gaming in general, including wargames and miniatures gaming, which tend to be less well represented at Gen Con and Dragon*Con. Board games, trading card games, and role-playing games are also popular at Origins. It is usually compared in size with E3 and GenCon, and is famous for it's Origin Awards. The Origins Award is commonly referred to as a Calliope, as the statuette is in the likeness of the Muse of the same name. Academy members frequently shorten this name to "Callie." [20]

Red, White & BOOM, downtown, river front. Take a bus, traffic is as bad as it gets in Columbus for this event. Billed as The biggest and best Independence Day fireworks celebration in the Midwest. July. [21]

Sports Teams

Ohio State Buckeyes[25] — The athletic teams representing Ohio State University are one of the city's (and state's) greatest sporting institutions. Members of the Big Ten Conference along with 11 other schools in the greater Midwest region and Penn State in central Pennsylvania, the Buckeyes frequently contend for national honors in a wide variety of sports. The most famous Buckeye team is the football team, playing before regular sellout crowds of over 100,000 at Ohio Stadium. In other sports, a few of the many legendary figures to wear the scarlet and gray of Ohio State include Jesse Owens, Jack Nicklaus, and Bob Knight.

The Krema Nut Company 1000 W. Goodale Blvd. +1 614 299-4131. [30] One of the oldest peanut butter makers still manufacturing in the United States today! And PB & Jelley Sandwich shop.

Mature audiences

Gentlemen Clubs Gentlemen Clubs are scattered throughout Columbus and are open to those 18+, and are considered by most to be acceptable entertainment. Some offer alcohol, some are BYOB, some are alcohol free. Most all are open to both male and female; however, most only offer male or female entertainers. Expect to pass through metal detector and provide some form of identity. Current law does not allow total nudity after mid-night.

Scioto Downs Two miles south of Route 270 on Route 23 South (High Street). [31] Harness racing and betting.

Learn

Work

Buy

High St.

Columbus is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

The Short North[32] is neighborhood of galleries, restaurants and cafes lining High Street, which is the main north-south thoroughfare in the downtown. The Short North lies just north of the downtown on the north side of I-670. The Short North runs until about Third Avenue. In 2005, the overpass of I-670 was finished with shops making a "cap" over the freeway with restaurants and shops. Check out the Gallery Hop the first Saturday of every month when the galleries stay open late and the streets and bars are definitely hopping.

The North Market, 59 Spruce Street, ☎614 221 7237, [33]. A spacious indoor market with multiple local vendors featuring a variety of international, gourmet, and organic foods as well as gift shops. It often functions as a popular venue for festivals and music.

Wholly Craft!, 3169 North High Street, ☎614 447 3445, [34]. M,W-F 1PM-8PM Tues Closed Sa 12PM-7PM Su 12PM-5PM. Craft shop featuring handmade clothing, jewelry, gifts, recycled artwork, soaps, and anatomically themed knittery. Designers are from all over the country, but many are in Ohio; thus making this a good place to find Ohio souvenirs because of its showcasing of local artists' merchandise.

Eat

The City of Columbus issues approximately 6,000 licenses for a variety of types of food vendors, Franklin County issues about 3,000 for the remainder of the County and the suburban area.

Food Safety – In Columbus, starting late May of 2007, all 6,000 local restaurants must post color coded signs that reflect the results of the most previous inspection by the Columbus Public Health Dept. Green = passing most recent inspection. Red, yellow or white suggests you probably may want to reconsider your options. The law applies to public pools, tattoo parlors, spas, campgrounds as well as food markets. The sign must be obvious, within five foot of an entrance.

A major test market for most major chain restaurants (though this is not as true as it once was), Columbus has a large density of national chain restaurants, some even having multiple venues in a single neighborhood.
That being said, Columbus has a growing ethnic and upper class dining scene thanks in part to continued immigration (from Africa {especially Somalia and Ghana}, Southeast Asia, & more recently Latin America) and the continued gentrification of the downtown area.

Columbus is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

The North Market, 59 Spruce Street, ☎614 221 7237, [37]. Liège-style waffles at Taste of Belgium. Homemade sauces at Pastaria. BBQ or Vietnamese, sushi or rice balls, the biggest problem is choosing what to eat, and it's all relatively cheap.

Budget

Graffiti Burger, [38]. Local burger chain, with simple menu concept similar to Five Guys and In-N-Out. Named for its heaping, almost sloppy, burger toppings. Vegetarian option is a delicious house-made veggie patty.

Lunch Wagons called loncheras, or lovingly referred to as "roach coaches" which cater to a Latino labor force, are becoming a common sight around town and are very popular with those in the know. Simliar to the lunch wagons so popular in Hawaii, but with a Latino twist. They are subject to inspection by the health dept. and should not be feared but enjoyed.

Tensuke Market Cafe 1167 Old Henderson Road 614 451-6002. A well kept secret for Japanese food, and budget alternative to its posh neighbor, Akai Hana. Features several kinds of Japanese noodles, tempura, gyoza, teriyaki, and potato croquettes.

White Castle Scattered throughout Columbus, you will find the popular White Castle burger franchise. Fries, burgers, shakes, breakfast. Most are open 24/7 and offer some of the most inexpensive eats in town.

Whole World Natural Restaurant 3269 North High Street 614 268-5751. Entirely vegetarian with many vegan options. New soups and specials every day, as well as vegan pastries, cookies, and cakes sold at the counter.

Mid-range

Max & Erma's, [43]. The quintessential 'burgers and stuff' sort of place got its' start here, and you can find one almost anywhere in town, including the original restaurant in German Village. Adventurers are recommended to try their Garbage Burger, while those with a sweet tooth should get a pan of cookies made fresh for them, or try the sundae bar!

Schmidt's Sausage Haus, 240 E Kossuth St. [44] This family run restaurant serves up some of the best German food in Columbus. It is famous for their Bahama Mama's and their large cream puffs. Schmidt's has been featured on the food network and on the travel channel's "Man V. Food". Try a little bit of everything to experience the authentic German cuisine.

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, [45] This ice cream shops features exotic flavors that will you keep you coming back. Jeni's has won many awards and has been featured on numerous shows on the food network and the travel channel. All of the ingredients are organic and most of them come from local farms in Ohio.

Akai Hana Columbus' most authentic source of excellent Japanese food and sushi. Located at Old Henderson & Kenny, in the Japanese part of town next to the Japanese gift shop, Japanese bakery, and Japanese market. It's a bit hard to find, tucked in a strip mall behind 'The Ski Shack'. Also provides carry-out. This restaurant is formerly known as Restaurant Japan.

Eddie George's Grille 27, 1636 North High St., +1 614-421-2727. [50] Great American food and atmosphere for watching sports. Located in the South Campus Gateway. This sports-themed restaurant is owned and named after the Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State.

The Blue Nile, 2631 North High St., +1 614-421-2323. [51] Located within walking distance of the Ohio State University campus. The Blue Nile serves Ethiopian food, community-style, on a big tray lined with Injera, a crepe-like bread.

Splurge

Alana's, 2333 North High Street, ..just north of The Ohio State University, +1 614-294-6783. [53]. is the best place to indulge in a nice bottle of wine with dinner, as the mark-up on her amazing selection is practically non-existant. With a new menu hand-picked by Alana herself every night and an on-site sommelier (her husband), Alana's is a great place to enjoy fine food in a non-pretentious atmosphere.

Cameron Mitchel Restaurants, [54]. For better or for worse, a majority of the fine dining in Columbus is owned by the same parent company. For a predictably pleasant (if unadventurous) night out you can choose from Molly Woos, The Columbus Fish Market, M (high-end), Cameron's (steak), or Cap City Diner.

Dives

For the mid-west, Columbus has its share of ethnic and domestic eateries that shelter culinary artists throughout the city and offer outstanding meals at sometimes bargain prices, in locations that may be carry-out only, limited seating or maybe small bars that offer outstanding food. Places that are well worth the effort to find, which is part of the adventure.

Paradise Foods, 3180 E. Main St., +1 614-236-1599. International dishes for every taste. Restaurant. Caribbean jerk/curry/brown stew chicken with red beans and rice; fried, steamed or blackened whiting, perch, catfish, red snapper, scallops and more (shrimp is also available by the pound). Choose from full or half slabs of long, center and short bone beef or pork barbecue ribs. Outside seating only.

Drink

Columbus is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

`

The Winking Lizard in Worthington and on Bethel sport a good beer selection.

Cafe Apropos 443 West 3rd Avenue in Victorian Village. A hybrid between quiet coffee shop and bar with a small selection of local beers on tap, wines and wine shop, ice cream, and fresh coffees.

Victorian's Midnight Cafe at the corner of 5th & Neil avenues. Non-smoking, a great selection of beers, very casual. Live music most nights.

The Arena District, home of The Columbus Nationwide Arena. Bars include Frog Bear Wild Boar, Brother's, Gaswerks, and the Lodge Bar, each containing a different personality and young 20-somethings atmosphere. Cabs are easy to flag down, parking is cheap, and each bar has incredible happy hour specials. Don't miss Brothers $1 Thursday mug night, an Ohio State student favorite.

The Char Bar across the street from the Greater Columbus Convention Center is a nicely low-key place to get good drinks, many different types of beer, and relax.

Old Bag of Nails Pub, 18 North Nelson Road (Between Bexley district and Franklin Park on the right off E. Broad Street going into Downtown), ☎614-252-4949, [56]. Perfect place for happy hour! Landmark in Bexley community of Columbus. Styled after an English Pub this is a great place to hang out and test MANY different beer selections. The beer-battered pickles and fish-n-chips are excellent. Great for Happy Hour (2/7PM) to sit on their back patio overlooking the bridge and water with a fun jazz band playing every Thursday 7-9PM. $.

The Short North area, on N High Street above Goodale street combines art galleries with bars. First weekend of the month is "Gallery Hop" and places are open later.

Barley's is a microbrewery in the Short North that is known for its high-quality beers.

Wyandotte Winery - 4640 Wyandotte Dr., [57] A family run winery located in a cozy neighborhood setting in northeast Columbus. Wyandotte has produced fine grape and fruit wines on premises for over 30 years. Visit the wine shop and tasting room, enjoy a taste of the current wine offerings, and browse the wine related items in the gift shop.

Brothers Drake Meadery, 26 E 5th Ave (near corner of 5th & High St.), ☎614-388-8765, [58]. We make wines from honey and source the most local ingredients possible to create a distinctly local Columbus mead. Stop by to sample signature recipes, enjoy local art and live music. $15 +.

SideBar 122, 122 E Main Street (E Main between 3rd and 4th), ☎614-228-9041, [59]. 4pm - 12pm. Sidebar offers classic cocktails and a Mediterranean inspired small plates menu with the flavors of South America. Behind the bar you will find bartenders shaking drinks with house-made syrups and juices. There's a dining room with exposed brick and candlelit tables. Opens Monday through Saturday at 4:00 and begins offering dinner service at 5:00 pm. Check out the Piano Bar on the lower level Saturday nights for live Jazz performances.

Sleep

Columbus is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

Columbus is a convention city, with a large well established business and manufacturing base, as well as an education foundation that attracts many visitors. Downtown accommodations tend to be a little more expensive than those scattered near the interstate exits. But, there usually is lodging available in most price ranges.

The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel, 2407 Indiana Ave., [62]. Inexpensive lodging that doesn't skimp on the fun. Bar crawls, cookouts, movie nights, city tours, live music, and more. One mile from OSU. Dormitory beds starting at only $25 per night.

Residence Inn Columbus Downtown, 36 E. Gay Street, Columbus, OH 43215, ☎614-222-2610, [67]. checkin: 4PM; checkout: 12PM. Located in the heart of downtown, this well appointed all suite hotel is was a converted historic bank. Hotel features a variety of amenities and services with the comforts of home.

Cope

Newspapers

The Columbus Dispatch, [69]. Columbus' daily newspaper, and has the standard News/Sports/Arts/Classifieds mix. Perhaps due to the fact that Columbus is the state capitol, the Dispatch usually carries more news about state politics than most of the other Ohio dailies. In addition to the standard vending machines, the Dispatch can also be purchased on some COTA (public) buses by depositing an extra $0.50 into the fare box.

The Other Paper, [70]. Probably the best source for information on the music and arts scenes in Columbus. It is geared towards a younger (or at least more liberal) audience and can usually be found free in coffee shops and restaurants.

Columbus Alive. While not as colorful or notorious as The Other Paper, Columbus Alive is another good source for entertainment schedules, and may be less jarring to those with conservative sensibilities. It is also provided free at local businesses and libraries.

Religious services

Broad Street in Downtown Columbus is home to a number of Christian churches of considerable historic and architectural interest, including First Congregational United Church of Christ [71], where Washington Gladden , a pioneer in the Social Gospel movement, preached from 1882-1918. Both First Congregational and the nearby Catholic cathedral, St. Joseph's [72], offer a range of special services and concerts throughout the year.

Stay safe

Dial 911 to get emergency (police/medical/fire) help.

Although down somewhat in recent years, crime is still a problem in certain areas of the city. Most violent crime occurs in areas that would not be frequented by tourists. Visitors to the area should be aware that the theft of laptop computers, phones, and other items from automobiles is a common occurrence. Always store valuables in the cargo compartment of one’s car and make sure it is locked.

Motorists who drink and drive will face stiff penalties if one’s blood alcohol concentration is above the legal limit (0.08). Police routinely set up checkpoints along major roads where all drivers must pass through and show their license and registration to check for intoxicated people.

Vehicles are required by law to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. However, the law is not universally followed. Take care to watch for turning traffic when crossing streets.

Areas on the east side of the city along the streets of Livingston Avenue, Main Street, and Mount Vernon between Parsons and Alum Creek sometimes see violent crime. These areas should be avoided at night. Additional areas to avoid at night include Cleveland Avenue between I-670 and SR-161 and the area east of High Street near the OSU campus.

On the West side of town, a sliver of neighborhoods around Broad St. and east of I-270 South are relatively safe during the day, but not at night. Generally, areas outside of the I-270 loop (the Outerbelt) are safer and more peaceful than areas inside, although the area around Brice Road and I-70 is not safe. Safe areas inside I-270 include the Arena District, the Short North District, Clintonville, Northwest Columbus, Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights, Worthington, Dublin, much of German Village and Bexley.

Hospitals

Though not as significant as its neighbor to the North (Cleveland), Columbus does have medical tourism business that attracts domestic visitors and visitors from all over the USA. Those who accompany patients can expect assistance from the facilities (if you are insistant and have a little patience) in the form of long term discount lodging and local transportation to and from the facility to see the patient.

Columbus is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

Dodd Hall 480 Medical Center Dr. (at west side of University) +1 614 293-5123 [75] Ranked among the top 10 for rehabilitation by U.S. News & World Report. The place for recent brain injuries and muscle atrophy treatment.

James Cancer Hospital 300 W. 10th Ave. +1 800 293-5066. [76] Rated as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.

Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University 410 W. 10th Ave. (Towards Olentangy River) +1 800 293-5123. [79] The Ohio State University's Medical Center is one of the largest and most diverse academic medical centers in the country.

Law Enforcement

In the Columbus area, you will find a variety of Law Enforcement that includes Ohio State Patrol, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff, local Police depts., in Dublin, Westerville and other local municipalities to name a few. Usually, they are what one would expect from law enforcement as far as being professional, polite and helpful. They are well trained and compensated, very good at crowd control and traffic control. Be polite, respectful and you will have few problems with them. Most have cameras in cars, do not offer any bribes of anything and keep in mind you are likely being video recorded.

Smoking

Ohioans passed "SmokeFree Ohio" ballot measure in 2006 banning smoking in most public areas with very few exceptions. Some hotels, motels, or other lodging facilities may have special smoking rooms that are permitted under the new law. The law forbids restaurants and bars from allowing smoking on premises, unless they have an outdoor patio. Some private clubs, such as AmVets, Eagles, Moose, and similar establishments have been slower to enforce the smoking ban, especially in the outskirts of the city.

Contact

Visitor Information

Experience Columbus is the convention & visitors bureau. [80] 1-866-397-2657. Experience Columbus runs two visitor information centers that are stocked with brochures and have knowledgable staff that can help you stay, play, dine, and shop:

Easton visitor information center: 188 Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio 43219 +1 614 416 8080. Located on the first floor of the Easton Town Center mall; two free parking garages are located on either end of the mall.

Downtown visitor information center: 277 W Nationwide Blvd, Columbus, Ohio 43215 +1 614 221 6623. Located on the corner of Nationwide Blvd. and Neil Ave. in the Arena District; parking is free for the first fifteen minutes in the lot across the street.

BuckeyeSoul.com maintains a list of African American related events for the Columbus area. [81]

WIFI Access

Stauf's:, Grandview Village [82] Possibly the best coffee place in Columbus.

The Waiting Room, North High St, near 1st Ave.

Cafe Kerouac, North High St, near Northwood Ave. A funky neighborhood coffee shop that also has books and magazines.

Cup O' Joe, Several locations throughout the city including North High St, German Village, Bexley and Olentangy River Rd. Coffee roasted by Stauf's.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!